a girl with a creative appetite

Menu

healthy

Use the best of the summer’s tomatoes in this delicious, herby tomato salad. I served mine with lamb fillet marinated in garlic, rosemary & lemon & some buttered new potatoes. But it’s perfect on it’s own, served with some crusty fresh bread to mop up the juices. The perfect simple supper.

Ingredients

One or two large tomatoes

A handful of cherry tomatoes ( I used red & yellow from my mum’s garden)

First of all I’d like to thank everyone for their kind responses to last weeks post. I am aiming to be more open and honest on this blog, and just be me, as that’s what it’s all about right? This was the first time I received so many comments from people that actually know me in person, and it was so lovely to know that I have your support and to all the graduates out their, knowing we are in the same boat is tough, and like Daisy said, it’s like being in the middle of a stormy ocean, which is on fire haha but I promise you if we stick it out we will get to where we want to be! So thank you, I’m more positive this week and know that good things will come.

A quote springs to mind of a card I have siting in a frame in my room that my best friend Ally gave me, it says “She waited patiently until happiness surrounded her and good luck lay in piles at her feet. Help yourself she said kindly, good things come to those who wait.”

Last weekend as you know I decided to go and visit my friend Daisy in Nottingham, and I had a lovely time. It was just what I needed to get away from the stress, clear my head and come back to London fighting. It was certainly filled with food & alcohol, so this weeks recipe is a lighter one. On the saturday, we went for lunch at The Pudding Pantry, and then out for dinner to Annie’s a burger joint, then out for cocktails. Sunday we went to the Nottingham Food Festival at Wollaton.We were extremely lucky with the weather and saw John Whaite, and Lisa Faulkner do a cookery demonstration, ate lots of lovely food including BBQ slow cooked brisket, pulled pork, mac and cheese, and churros, washed down with some Pimm’s! This week I have been applying for jobs & internships, keeping fit to burn off all those calories and keeping positive.

Wollaton Hall

Wollaton Hall

Wollaton Hall

Gardens

John Whaite

Food Festival

As promised, this weeks recipe is inspired by one of my close friends, Sarah. Through university, particularly in our third year we shared a love of healthy, tasty and experimental dishes. I taught her a few things, as did she, and we also learnt that you can’t make icing for chocolate protein cookies from hot chocolate powder, out of date margarine, milk and water. It doesn’t work, don’t even try it. Ha! Sarah is one of those people who has such a positive outlook on life, really wants the best for herself, and others. She really drives me, and understands my ambitions and helps me to be the best I can. She constantly shares these posts to her friends and circles, and for that I am extremely grateful, so without further ado, here is the recipe…

To keep up to date with my foodie adventures and the occasional selfie please follow my instagram @mariablackstone and for pointless tweets follow me on twitter @mariablackstone (obviously extremely original on the user name front).

I hope you like this recipe, its light and fairly healthy with the half fat creme fraiche, and brown pasta. I couldn’t resist a bit of naughty bacon, plus it looks nice. It makes a change from my love of everything indulgent, and I sure do need it after the weekend I’ve had. If you have any ideas for future recipes, please do drop me a message! I am off out to Prezzo’s tonight for dinner with the girls and will then be back on my job applications at full speed!

I’m a lover of sweet bakes and indulgent treats, but I do love creating and eating healthy food too, which is full of nourishing goodness for our bodies, to keep us fit and healthy. If we do this, it means we can enjoy the occasional naughty treat … right?!

So as well as trying some of my more indulgent recipes, how about try this super quick green smoothie recipe. It is super refreshing, as it doesn’t contain milk, so its good for any one with a dairy intolerance. It tastes like the refreshing twister lollies I used to have as a kid, but who am I kidding, I am never too old for a twister lolly!

You’ll need a high power blender to make this recipe – I used a NutriBullet, but a stick blender would also be fine.

Ingredients

1/2 small pineapple – I find this smoothie tastes better made with frozen pineapple, it seems sweeter and more refreshing, but isn’t essential, you could cool the smoothie in the fridge or with some ice.

1cm piece of ginger, peeled (aprox.)

Large handful of spinach leaves

Juice of 1/2 a lime

150 ml of water (or enough to create your desired consistency) you could also try using other waters like coconut water.

Method

1. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Serve and enjoy, it really couldn’t be simpler.

This really makes me feel good on the inside, it wakes me up and refreshes me. The ginger adds a spicy note, while the pineapple adds the sweet hit we all crave, and the lime adds a sour, refreshing hit. Ginger has health benefits such as aiding digestive problems, nausea, pain reduction and has anti-inflammatory qualities. You could also add a tablespoon of flax seed to this smoothie for added fibre, and nutritional value.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do, and don’t let the colour put you off.
A girl with an appetite for all things creative,